Passive device for broadband acoustic acquisition (3) that can communicate with a digital processing unit (4), the device including a plurality of microphone sensors (7) that can generate an electric signal (8) that is representative of an acoustic pressure (9) received, electronics for processing and digitizing (12) electric signals being able to adapt the electric signals and transform them into digital signals (13) of acoustic pressure, transfer electronics (14) being able to communicate with a digital processing unit (4) and to make possible the transfer of the digital signals of acoustic pressure to the digital processing unit. The microphone sensors and the transfer electronics are mounted on a multifunctional rigid support element (17) that incorporates the processing and digitizing electronics.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. Passive device for broadband acoustic acquisition able to communicate with a digital processing unit, the device having a plurality of microphone sensors, each of the sensors being able to generate an electric signal that is representative of an acoustic pressure received by said microphone sensor, wherein the plurality of microphone sensors comprises a number of microphone sensors greater than or equal to six and less than or equal to twelve, wherein for any first sensor selected from among the plurality of microphone sensors and any second sensor selected from among the plurality of microphone sensors: i) a maximum distance (L 1 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is less than or equal to thirty-five centimeters, and ii) a minimum distance (L 2 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is greater than or equal to four centimeters, electronics for processing and digitizing electric signals that are able to adapt the electric signals generated by the microphone sensors and to transform them into digital signals of acoustic pressure, transfer electronics able to communicate with a digital processing unit and to make possible the transfer of the digital signals of acoustic pressure from the electronics for processing and digitizing to said digital processing unit, and a multifunctional rigid support element that incorporates the electronic for processing and digitizing, wherein the microphone sensors and the transfer electronics are mounted on the multifunctional rigid support element, and wherein the sensors are placed approximately on a plane surface so that a thickness dimension of the passive system in a direction of thickness, approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the plurality of microphone sensors extends, is less than five centimeters.
2. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , wherein sensors from among the plurality of microphone sensors are placed approximately in a circle.
3. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional rigid support element has a plurality of receptacles, and wherein each sensor from among the plurality of microphone sensors is mounted in an associated receptacle from among the plurality of receptacles.
4. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , further having at least one distance sensor incorporated in the multifunctional rigid support element.
5. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional rigid support element has a means for association with a digital processing unit that is able to attach a digital processing unit rigidly to the multifunctional rigid support element.
6. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , having one of the following elements: the multifunctional rigid support element has a rigid shell in which the processing and digitizing electronics are housed, the multifunctional rigid support element has two rigid shells attached opposite one another and containing between them the processing and digitizing electronics, and/or the multifunctional rigid support element is perforated.
7. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional rigid support element has at least one of the following elements: a grasping means able to make possible handling and carrying of the acoustic acquisition device with one or two hands, in particular a zone or zones of a rigid shell or of rigid shells, a means for fastening to an external support, in particular to a tripod stand, and/or an autonomous electric power source incorporated in the multifunctional rigid support element, in particular a battery.
8. Passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer electronics are: either wire transfer electronics having a connector and able to communicate with the digital processing unit by an interconnection cable, or wireless transfer electronics having an antenna or an optical emitter-receiver and able to communicate with the digital processing unit by means of a wireless connection, in particular a wireless radiofrequency connection or a wireless optical connection.
9. Passive device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microphone sensors equals exactly eight microphone sensors.
10. Passive device according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum distance (L 1 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is equal to twenty centimeters.
11. Passive device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microphone sensors equal exactly eight of microphone sensors, and wherein the maximum distance (L 1 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is equal to twenty centimeters.
12. Passive device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microphone sensors define a perimeter and the electronics for processing and digitizing and the transfer electronics are mounted on the multifunctional rigid support element within an interior of the perimeter.
13. Passive device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microphone sensors define a circle and the electronics for processing and digitizing and the transfer electronics are mounted on the multifunctional rigid support element within on interior of the circle.
14. Passive system for broadband acoustic imagery of an observation zone, the system comprising a passive device for acoustic acquisition according to claim 1 , a digital processing unit suited to receive digital signals of acoustic pressure from the passive device for acoustic acquisition and to determine and store, for each of the points of a plurality of points of the observation zone, at least one digital value of the acoustic pressure level at this point from the digital signals of acoustic pressure, and a means for displaying a grid of the digital values of the acoustic pressure level associated with each point of the observation zone.
15. Passive system for acoustic imagery according to claim 14 , having one of the following elements: the digital processing unit is attached rigidly to the multifunctional rigid support element, and/or the passive device for acoustic acquisition is supplied with electric power by the digital processing unit.
16. Passive system for acoustic imagery according to claim 14 , wherein the display means have a touch screen able to make possible the communication of commands to the digital processing unit.
17. Passive system for acoustic imagery according to claim 14 , further having a means for acquisition of photographic images to obtain at least one photographic image of the observation zone, and wherein the display means are able to display the photographic image of the observation zone and the grid of the digital values of the acoustic pressure level, in particular in the form of a palette of colors or of the level of gray associated with the grid of the digital values and superposed with the photographic image.
18. Passive system for acoustic imagery according to claim 17 , wherein a mobile apparatus comprises the digital processing unit, the display means, and the means for acquisition of photographic images, the mobile apparatus having an autonomous electric power source, in particular a battery, preferably in which the mobile apparatus and the plurality of microphone sensors are respectively placed on opposite faces of the multifunctional rigid support element, the multifunctional rigid support element having a through opening opposite the means for acquisition of photographic images able to make it possible for the means for acquisition of photographic images to acquire a photographic image of the observation zone.
19. Passive device for broadband acoustic acquisition that communicates with a digital processing unit, the device comprising: a multifunctional rigid support element; a plurality of microphone sensors arranged in a geometric arrangement and mounted on the multifunctional rigid support element, each microphone sensor able to generate an electric signal that is representative of an acoustic pressure received by said microphone sensor, wherein the plurality of microphone sensors comprises a number of microphone sensors greater than or equal to six and less than or equal to twelve, wherein for any first sensor selected from among the plurality of microphone sensors and any second sensor selected from among the plurality of microphone sensors, i) a maximum distance (L 1 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is less than or equal to thirty-five centimeters, and ii) a minimum distance (L 2 ) between the first sensor and the second sensor is greater than or equal to four centimeters, wherein the sensors are placed approximately on a plane surface so that a thickness dimension of the passive system in a direction of thickness, approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the plurality of microphone sensors extends, is less than five centimeters; electronics for processing and digitizing electric signals that adapt the electric signals generated by the microphone sensors and to transform them into digital signals of acoustic pressure, the electronics for processing and digitizing being incorporated on the multifunctional rigid support element within an interior of the geometric arrangement; and transfer electronics that communicate with a digital processing unit and transfer of the digital signals of acoustic pressure from the electronics for processing and digitizing to said digital processing unit, the transfer electronics being mounted on the multifunctional rigid support element within an interior of the geometric arrangement.
20. Passive device according to claim 19 , wherein the plurality of microphone sensors equals exactly eight microphone sensors and the geometric arrangement is one of the group consisting of a circle and a polygon.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 8, 2014
November 28, 2017
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